Miguel Caballero aimed his .38 caliber pistol, took a deep breath, and shot his wife — as gently as possible.
He wasn’t happy about shooting the mother of his children for second time in nine years. But when you’re a purveyor of high-fashion bulletproof clothing trying to break into the biggest market in the hemisphere — the United States — you have to take a few risks.
Caballero’s clothing line is based in Colombia, marketed under the name MC Armor in the U.S. and newly available in Miami. It’s both stylish and effective enough to stop a bullet. But it’s Caballero’s showmanship — the 49-year-old has shot more than 230 volunteers to prove how effective his clothing is — that has made him something of a CEO celebrity in Latin America.
Three months ago, the 25-year-old company set up a distribution center in Miami to provide its bulletproof sports coats, safari jackets and t-shirts to the United States. And heading that project is Carolina Ballesteros, Caballero’s wife — and target.
